Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Drugs

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what data they collect on the performance of homecare medicines services.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the role of theCommercial Medicines Unit in procuring medicines for homecare delivery; and what steps they take to ensure performance by providers of the delivery service.

Lord Markham: Decisions on which medicines can be delivered by a homecare medicines service are made by National Health Service trusts.NHS England’s Commercial Medicines Unit (CMU) procures medicines on behalf of the four national framework agreements for the provision of homecare medicines services which it manages. As part of the contractual process, a nationally agreed set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) form part of the contractual terms which homecare providers report against. The data set used is attached.The CMU manages performance through robust contract management, in the form of regular contract review meetings where KPIs are reviewed. Contract review meetings include members of the stakeholder group, including representatives from the NHS trusts.As part of continued quality assurance and governance processes, all homecare providers are assessed against the same KPIs through the NHS supplier engagement group, which is a subgroup of the National Homecare Medicines Committee.CMUs Homecare Medicines and Services KPIs (xlsx, 1681.9KB)

NHS: Drugs

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government which medicines can be delivered by homecare medicines services.

Lord Markham: Decisions on which medicines can be delivered by a homecare medicines service are made by National Health Service trusts.NHS England’s Commercial Medicines Unit (CMU) procures medicines on behalf of the four national framework agreements for the provision of homecare medicines services which it manages. As part of the contractual process, a nationally agreed set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) form part of the contractual terms which homecare providers report against. The data set used is attached.The CMU manages performance through robust contract management, in the form of regular contract review meetings where KPIs are reviewed. Contract review meetings include members of the stakeholder group, including representatives from the NHS trusts.As part of continued quality assurance and governance processes, all homecare providers are assessed against the same KPIs through the NHS supplier engagement group, which is a subgroup of the National Homecare Medicines Committee.CMUs Homecare Medicines and Services KPIs (xlsx, 1681.9KB)

Food Standards Agency: Surveys

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how much it would cost to expand the sample size for the Food Standards Agency's Food and You 2 survey to a minimum of 10,000 households.

Lord Markham: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) estimates that it would cost approximately an additional £400,000 per year to increase the sample size of the Food and You 2 survey from 4,000 households to 10,000.A sample size of 4,000 households for each biannual wave of fieldwork provides sufficient accuracy to detect any important changes in the survey’s key estimates at the 95% confidence level. The random probability sampling approach (where households are randomly selected from the postcode address file) and use of weighting helps to ensure the results are representative of the population.Combining responses from multiple survey waves is a more cost-effective approach where greater accuracy is required. The FSA plans on publishing a combined dataset for Waves 1-6 in autumn 2023. The FSA currently has no plans to increase the sample size for Food and You 2.

Brain Cancer: Medical Treatments

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme to ensure that brain tumour patients are able to access the most promising treatments.

Lord Markham: We do not currently have a national mechanism to capture and report incidents of violence and aggression in the National Health Service. Data is held at a local level. At a national level, data on self-reported violent incidents is gathered through the NHS Staff Survey. Results from the 2022 NHS Staff Survey indicated that 14.7% of NHS staff have self-reported that they have experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months. 27.8% of NHS staff who completed the NHS Staff Survey experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from patients or service users, their relatives or members of the public. This figure is similar to previous years’ NHS Staff Survey data. NHS England has commissioned a number of data insight workstreams to better understand the current landscape of statistics, data reporting and associated challenges. This includes a national review of all available data and intelligence sources, an analysis of the costs of violence to the health care system in England and a review of the impact on the safety and wellbeing of NHS staff. The Ministry of Justice collects data on prosecution, conviction and sentences for the offence of assault on an emergency worker, although it does not identify the type of emergency worker. This data is available in the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly and the Outcomes of Offence Tool and Offence Group Classification: Criminal Justice System Statistics Quarterly: December 2022, a copy of which is attached.Criminal Justice statistics (pdf, 545.8KB)

NHS: Staff

Lord Turnberg: To ask His Majesty's Government how many incidents of abuse of NHS staff have resulted in criminal prosecution in each of the last 10 years.

Lord Markham: We do not currently have a national mechanism to capture and report incidents of violence and aggression in the National Health Service. Data is held at a local level. At a national level, data on self-reported violent incidents is gathered through the NHS Staff Survey. Results from the 2022 NHS Staff Survey indicated that 14.7% of NHS staff have self-reported that they have experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months. 27.8% of NHS staff who completed the NHS Staff Survey experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from patients or service users, their relatives or members of the public. This figure is similar to previous years’ NHS Staff Survey data. NHS England has commissioned a number of data insight workstreams to better understand the current landscape of statistics, data reporting and associated challenges. This includes a national review of all available data and intelligence sources, an analysis of the costs of violence to the health care system in England and a review of the impact on the safety and wellbeing of NHS staff. The Ministry of Justice collects data on prosecution, conviction and sentences for the offence of assault on an emergency worker, although it does not identify the type of emergency worker. This data is available in the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly and the Outcomes of Offence Tool and Offence Group Classification: Criminal Justice System Statistics Quarterly: December 2022, a copy of which is attached.Criminal Justice statistics (pdf, 545.8KB)

NHS: Staff

Lord Turnberg: To ask His Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the extent of abuse of NHS staff.

Lord Markham: We do not currently have a national mechanism to capture and report incidents of violence and aggression in the National Health Service. Data is held at a local level. At a national level, data on self-reported violent incidents is gathered through the NHS Staff Survey. Results from the 2022 NHS Staff Survey indicated that 14.7% of NHS staff have self-reported that they have experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months. 27.8% of NHS staff who completed the NHS Staff Survey experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from patients or service users, their relatives or members of the public. This figure is similar to previous years’ NHS Staff Survey data. NHS England has commissioned a number of data insight workstreams to better understand the current landscape of statistics, data reporting and associated challenges. This includes a national review of all available data and intelligence sources, an analysis of the costs of violence to the health care system in England and a review of the impact on the safety and wellbeing of NHS staff. The Ministry of Justice collects data on prosecution, conviction and sentences for the offence of assault on an emergency worker, although it does not identify the type of emergency worker. This data is available in the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly and the Outcomes of Offence Tool and Offence Group Classification: Criminal Justice System Statistics Quarterly: December 2022, a copy of which is attached.Criminal Justice statistics (pdf, 545.8KB)

Pharmacy: Closures

Baroness Golding: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of pharmacies closing permanently.

Lord Markham: No assessment has been made of any shortfall in community pharmacy funding. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework commits £2.592 billion a year to fund the provision of National Health Service pharmaceutical services in England. In September 2022 we made an additional £100 million one-off investment to fund the increase in clinical services delivery by the sector. In May 2023, as part of the Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care we committed to a further investment of up to £645 million to support a Pharmacy First service which will include expanded treatment options for seven common conditions, including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infection, and more blood pressure checks and oral contraception consultations in community pharmacy.Pharmacy openings and closures in England are published by NHS Business Services Authority. Between 31 December 2022 and 30 June 2023, the number of pharmacies reduced by 222. This reduction is mainly driven by the large multiples reducing their portfolios. To address the disproportionately high rate of closures of 100-hour pharmacies, legislation was amended in April to allow those pharmacies to reduce their hours to a minimum of 72. The Department is monitoring the market, and access to pharmaceutical services remains good, with 80% of people in England living within 20 minutes walking distance of a community pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the more deprived areas.

Pharmacy: Finance

Baroness Golding: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any shortfall in funding affecting pharmacies in England for each year between 2015 and 2023.

Lord Markham: No assessment has been made of any shortfall in community pharmacy funding. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework commits £2.592 billion a year to fund the provision of National Health Service pharmaceutical services in England. In September 2022 we made an additional £100 million one-off investment to fund the increase in clinical services delivery by the sector. In May 2023, as part of the Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care we committed to a further investment of up to £645 million to support a Pharmacy First service which will include expanded treatment options for seven common conditions, including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infection, and more blood pressure checks and oral contraception consultations in community pharmacy.Pharmacy openings and closures in England are published by NHS Business Services Authority. Between 31 December 2022 and 30 June 2023, the number of pharmacies reduced by 222. This reduction is mainly driven by the large multiples reducing their portfolios. To address the disproportionately high rate of closures of 100-hour pharmacies, legislation was amended in April to allow those pharmacies to reduce their hours to a minimum of 72. The Department is monitoring the market, and access to pharmaceutical services remains good, with 80% of people in England living within 20 minutes walking distance of a community pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the more deprived areas.

Pharmacy: Closures

Baroness Golding: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the trends behind the number of pharmacy closures this year.

Lord Markham: No assessment has been made of any shortfall in community pharmacy funding. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework commits £2.592 billion a year to fund the provision of National Health Service pharmaceutical services in England. In September 2022 we made an additional £100 million one-off investment to fund the increase in clinical services delivery by the sector. In May 2023, as part of the Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care we committed to a further investment of up to £645 million to support a Pharmacy First service which will include expanded treatment options for seven common conditions, including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infection, and more blood pressure checks and oral contraception consultations in community pharmacy.Pharmacy openings and closures in England are published by NHS Business Services Authority. Between 31 December 2022 and 30 June 2023, the number of pharmacies reduced by 222. This reduction is mainly driven by the large multiples reducing their portfolios. To address the disproportionately high rate of closures of 100-hour pharmacies, legislation was amended in April to allow those pharmacies to reduce their hours to a minimum of 72. The Department is monitoring the market, and access to pharmaceutical services remains good, with 80% of people in England living within 20 minutes walking distance of a community pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the more deprived areas.

Pharmacy: Standards

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of support available under the Pharmacy Access Scheme; and whether the criteria includes the (1)quality, (2) opening hours, and (3) range of provision, of existing pharmacies.

Lord Markham: The early access to medicines scheme (EAMS) aims to give patients with life threatening or seriously debilitating conditions access to medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation when there is a clear unmet medical need.Under the scheme, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will give a scientific opinion on the benefit/risk balance of the medicine, based on the data available when the EAMS submission was made and the EAMS criteria. The MHRA will make an evaluation of products, including drugs such as for brain tumour treatments, once an application is received.If we do receive an application, it is only made public where an EAMS Scientific Opinion (SO) is awarded. All EAMS SOs are published on the EAMS webpage. All drugs that have previously held an EAMS SO are also published on the EAMS webpage.

NHS: Pay

Lord Clark of Windermere: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total wage bill for all NHS staff for (1) April 2019, and (2) April 2023.

Lord Markham: Data submitted to the NHS Pay Review Body shows that National Health Service provider permanent and bank staff spend was £55.7 billion in 2019/20, while in 2021/22 the spend was £66.2 billion. Data for 2022/23 is not yet available.

Physician Associates: Employment

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that the increased employment of physician associates (PAs) as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to tackle staff shortages in the NHS do not compromise patient safety; and what measures are in place to ensure that patients understand when they are being treated by a PA and not by a fully qualified GP.

Lord Markham: Physician associates (PAs) are medically trained generalist healthcare professionals who work alongside doctors and provide medical care as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. They should always work with a registered medical supervisor, whether in primary care or a hospital setting, so that they have immediate access to appropriate support and guidance.The Government is progressing the required legislation which will the enable the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate the PA role. We plan to lay legislation before the House at the end of 2023, which will allow the GMC to commence regulation by the end of 2024. Regulation by the GMC will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of PAs.PAs, like all other members of the primary care team, are expected to introduce themselves to each patient that they see, and this introduction should include explaining their role in the multi-professional team.

NHS: Staff

Lord Turnberg: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to combat the abuse of NHS staff.

Lord Markham: Everyone working in the National Health Service had a fundamental right to be safe at work. NHS England’s NHS Violence Reduction Programme aims to prevent and reduce violence and aggression from patients, their families and the public, and mitigate the effects of violence and abuse on NHS staff.A key part of this has been the creation of Violence Prevention and Reduction Standards, which help NHS organisations assess their arrangements for managing the risk of violence towards staff. Work is underway with integrated care systems to improve system working and skill mix training in tackling violence, embedding a longer term, preventative approach in line with the World Health Organization and Home Office guidance.NHS England has invested £8.4 million into the ambulance service sector to explore the efficacy of body worn cameras in reducing violence and abuse. All ambulance trusts are now trialling the cameras and an independent evaluation is underway with a final report expected at the end of the 2024. In addition, NHS England have been working with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, to produce a national communications campaign in response to the rising levels of aggression, verbal and physical assaults against NHS ambulance staff.The Government legislated last year through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act to double the sentence for assaults on emergency workers to a maximum of two years.

General Practitioners: Data Processing

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend that the data set, General Practice Extraction Service data for pandemic planning and research will contribute to the NHS England service ‘Cohorting as a Service’.

Lord Markham: General Practice Extraction Service data for pandemic planning and research has been used by Cohorting as a Service to identify patients in clinically at-risk groups to receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. There are no plans to use this data within Cohorting as a Service for other purposes.

Brain Cancer: Research

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have takento encourage more medical researchers to enter into brain tumour research.

Lord Markham: Brain tumour research remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community. We are working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow the capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high-quality research funding proposals.The TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.

Carers: Dementia

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what specific provisions or schemesare in place to support carers of those suffering from early onset dementia.

Lord Markham: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support, and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.In 2023/24, £327 million of Better Care Fund funding has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers. This also funds additional advice and support to carers and a small number of additional local authority duties.The Department has published guidance on what to expect after a dementia diagnosis titled After Diagnosis of Dementia: What to Expect from Health and Care Services, which includes the carer’s entitlement to an assessment and appropriate response.

Osteoporosis: Screening

Baroness Quin: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Royal Osteoporosis Society, and (2) other key stakeholders, about any further research required to address the gaps in knowledge identified by the National Screening Committee in its assessment Screening for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women, published in 2019.

Lord Markham: In 2022 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) adopted an expanded remit which included establishing a Research and Methodology group (RMG). This group has published guidance on the UK NSC’s GOV.UK webpage around how screening researchers can ask the UK NSC’s RMG for advice and is the best port of call to engage with the UK NSC about research.

Draft Mental Health Bill

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will respond to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill (HL Paper 128), published on 19 January.

Lord Markham: The Department is considering the Committee’s recommendations carefully and we will respond in due course.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of VAT to the NHS applied to the purchase of patient drugs in each of the past five financial years.

Lord Markham: The information requested is not held centrally.

Cabinet Office

Honours

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 30 June (HL8582), what is the regional breakdown of recipients of the Companion of Honour.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We do not collate the geographical data for Companions of Honour (CH) recipients in each list nor do we track the current geographic locations for all 63 living CH recipients.

Migration

Lord Wigley: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many UK citizens emigrated in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority. The Rt Hon. the Lord WigleyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW 11 July 2023 Dear Lord Wigley, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate of how many UK citizens emigrated in each of the last five years for which figures are available (HL9085). The figures for British nationals emigrating out of the UK for the last five years are shown in Table 1 which is sourced from Figure 2 of our Long-term international migration, provisional: year ending December 2022 bulletin [1] which was released in May. Table 1: Number of British nationals emigrating out of the UK, between 2018 and 2022PeriodBritishYE Dec 201894,000YE Dec 201998,000YE Dec 202059,000YE Dec 202176,000YE Dec 202292,000Source: Office for National Statistics Please note that these are currently our best estimates but are subject to change. This is because in September 2023 we will be updating our migration estimates across the previous decade as part of rebased population estimates to align with Census 2021. For more information, please see our Provisional plans for publishing the latest population and migration estimates [2]. When accessing any of our files you may find it useful to read the 'notes, terms and conditions' contained within them. Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/longterminternationalmigrationprovisional/yearendingdecember2022#emigration-out-of-theuk[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/provisionalplansforpublishingthelatestpopulationandmigrationestimates UK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 116.8KB)

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Weapons

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's resilience against nuclear weapons.

Baroness Goldie: The United Kingdom’s (UK) independent nuclear deterrent exists to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, which cannot be deterred by other means. His Majesty’s Government will continue to keep our nuclear posture under constant review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries. The UK will maintain the capability required to impose costs on an adversary that would far outweigh the benefits they could hope to achieve should they threaten our, or our Allies’, security.

Department for Education

Children in Care: Supported Housing

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to recruit more supported lodgings hosts to accommodate 16 and 17 year olds in care.

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing tolocal authorities (1) to establish new supported lodgings schemes, or (2) to expand existing schemes.

Baroness Barran: The government believes that every child in the care system deserves to live in a high-quality setting that meets their needs and keeps them safe. That is why the department is investing over £140 million to introduce mandatory national standards and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for providers of supported accommodation for 16 and 17 year old looked after children and care leavers, including supported lodgings. Ofsted began registering providers on 28 April 2023, and registration will become mandatory from 28 October 2023.The department has commissioned the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) to deliver a sector awareness and provider preparedness programme, through which they are working directly with local authorities and providers to prepare them for registration and adhering to the new standards. This work will be responsive to the needs of the sector. The department has already identified supported lodgings as a key area of focus, given their uniqueness in comparison to other types of setting. Some of the NCB’s work over the summer will therefore target these providers, who also have representation on the steering group for the national programme.The department is investing £123 million of the overall funding package to support local authorities with the new burdens costs associated with these reforms. Many local authorities are looking to register their own inhouse supported lodgings services and are working closely with external providers to support them to register. Supported lodgings can provide the high-quality accommodation and support that older children need, and the department encourages more of this type of provision in future.

Pupil Referral Units

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government when Ofsted last carried out an inspection of Pupil Referral Units; and whether they plan to commission any further reports.

Baroness Barran: Ofsted is currently conducting a thematic review of local area arrangements for alternative provision (AP) and continues to inspect individual pupil referral units and other AP schools.

Pupil Referral Units: Standards

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of educational attainment in Pupil Referral Units; and what proportion of pupils in those units gain at least five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4.

Baroness Barran: Data is published on the educational attainment of pupils at the end Key Stage 4 in pupil referral units and alternative provision (AP) in the annual Key Stage 4 performance National Statistics release, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised.The proportion of pupils who gained at least five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 in academic year 2021/22 in pupil referral units can be found in the attached spreadsheet.There are many reasons why children who attend AP at Key Stage 4 may face challenges gaining GCSE grades, so it is vital that they receive a high quality education alongside appropriate support. We need to be just as ambitious for pupils in AP as we are for those in mainstream schools. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and AP Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023, set out a new national vision and delivery model for the AP system to improve the outcomes of the vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people it supports.Pupils_GCSE_achievements_in_PRUs (xlsx, 26.1KB)

Pupil Referral Units

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils have been placed in Pupil Referral Units in England in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what proportion of those pupils are (1) boys, (2) of Black Caribbean origin, and (3) of another ethnic minority.

Baroness Barran: The department publishes annual data on the gender and ethnicity of pupils at schools in England. The most recently published data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23. The publication includes figures for ‘State-funded alternate provision (AP) schools’, which include pupil referral units and alternative provider free schools and academies. The attached tables, taken from the published data, show breakdowns of pupils in these schools by gender and ethnicity from January 2021 to January 2023.The SEND and AP Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023, set out a new national vision and delivery model for the AP system.  Departmental reforms will see AP schools working with mainstream settings to provide targeted support and interventions to improve behaviour, attendance and reduce the numbers of preventable exclusions, including for those groups with a greater likelihood of being referred to alternative provision.Schools also have a clear duty not to discriminate against pupils based on protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Ofsted’s assessment of behaviour in schools includes specific consideration of rates, patterns and reasons for exclusions, as well as any differences between groups of pupils.The department’s ‘Understanding your data: a guide for school governors and academy trustees available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-your-data-a-guide-for-school-governors-and-academy-trustees/understanding-your-data-a-guide-for-school-governors-and-academy-trustees, makes clear that governing boards should carefully consider the level and characteristics of pupils who are leaving the school. They should challenge the school and academy trust management teams on any permanent exclusions to ensure it is only used as a last resort, as well as on directions for pupils to be to be educated off site in AP schools. They should also consider whether there are any patterns to the reasons or timing of such moves. HL9173_table (xlsx, 28.1KB)

Special Educational Needs

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of children with special needs completed the education healthcare plan within 20 weeks in each of the last three years.

Baroness Barran: The department collects data on the timeliness of new Education, Health and Care plans. This is published in the ‘Education, health and care plans’ statistics release, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.Data covering the last three years is available in the attached document. EHC_Plan_timeliness_data (xlsx, 13.6KB)

Universities: Strikes

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the strikes relating to marking of university exams and essays on students awaiting end of year grades.

Baroness Barran: The department understands that the vast majority of students will remain unaffected by the industrial action and, in most cases, will receive their full results on time and progress and/or graduate as normal. The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has published research findings which surveyed 49% of higher education (HE) institutions in the New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff. These institutions provided updated feedback on the impact of the marking and assessment boycott on students at their institutions:Over 70% of HE institutions said that ‘less than 2% of students’ will be unable to graduate this summer due to the boycott.A further 20% were ‘unsure’ of the number.4% of HE institutions said ‘between 2% and 9% of students’ would be impacted.A link to these research findings can be found here: https://www.ucea.ac.uk/news-releases/23june23/.On 22 June 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, met with Universities UK (UUK), the Russell Group and UCEA to better understand the impact that this boycott will have on students and the mitigating actions their members are taking to protect students’ interests.The Minister also wrote to the Russell Group and UUK, encouraging them to continue to do everything within their powers to protect the interests of students during this phase of industrial action. On 27 June 2023, the Minister met with a number of HE representative groups to discuss the marking and assessment boycott, including the mitigating actions HE institutions are taking to protect their students’ interests.HE institutions are working on minimising the disruption to their students in a variety of ways, including reallocating marking to other staff members and hiring external markers. Moreover, many HE institutions can award degrees when they have enough evidence of a student’s prior attainment to do so. Others will be able to assign provisional grades to students to allow them to progress and, once all papers have been marked, degree classifications will either remain as provisionally assigned or be uplifted to reflect the student’s achievements.The government believes students should be at the heart of the HE system. This is why the Office for Students (OfS) has been set up, to regulate the HE sector in England, protect student rights and ensure the sector is delivering real value for money. The OfS has published guidance to students on their rights during industrial action, available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/student-rights-and-welfare/student-guide-to-industrial-action/.On 12 June 2023, the OfS wrote to institutions affected by the boycott to reiterate its expectations in relation to its conditions of registration. The OfS will continue to monitor this ongoing situation through their normal regulatory mechanisms.Students who have complaints about their HE experience should contact their provider in the first instance. Students in England and Wales may also raise a complaint with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, which was set up to provide an alternative to the courts and is free of charge to students. Further information is available at: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/.The department will continue to engage with the HE sector over the coming weeks to help better understand the boycott’s impact on students and the mitigating actions HE institutions are taking to protect their students’ interests.

Universities: Drugs

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Universities UK strategic advisory panel involves students from Sensible Drug Policy UK; and what assessment they have made of the implications of this involvement for illegal drug use on university campuses.

Baroness Barran: The department is clear there is no safe way to take illegal drugs. These drugs can devastate lives, ruin families, and damage communities. The government welcomes activity by universities and other organisations to raise awareness of the harms of illicit drugs and discourage drug misuse. This includes focusing on the health, safety and wellbeing of students, while working with public health and law enforcement agencies.This government has invested a record £780 million to rebuild the national drug treatment and recovery system, to improve treatment and provide wider support, such as employment and housing, that people need to rebuild their lives.

Schools: Defibrillators

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement in July 2022 that all schools in England should have defibrillators on their estates, how many schools in England now have defibrillators; and how many training programmes for their use they have supported.

Baroness Barran: On 17 July 2022, The department announced that it would be providing defibrillators to all state funded schools in England that did not already have them.Deliveries to all eligible secondary schools have now been completed and, as of 27 June 2023, approximately 12,400 defibrillators have been delivered to over 9,965 eligible schools. All deliveries will be completed by the end of the academic year.Defibrillators are designed so they can be used safely with no prior training. The devices provided have voice prompts to talk the user through the steps they need to take at the time of use. Users are prompted to follow the step-by-step instructions displayed on the device.As part of the roll out, awareness videos have been provided showing how simple defibrillators are to use. The department is asking schools to share these videos in staff meetings and assemblies. This will ensure as many people as possible feel able to respond in an emergency situation.To further support schools, the department has also updated its Automated External Defibrillator guidance, which includes practical information about defibrillators and links to additional support. The guidance is attached.Automated_external_defibrillators_guidance_January (pdf, 1214.3KB)

Home Education

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how many school pupils are currently being home schooled in England; and how this figure compares with pre-pandemic figures.

Baroness Barran: The department publishes data on the number of children who are electively home educated here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.Data has been collected and published for the autumn term 2022 and spring term 2023.Local authorities reported that there were an estimated 86, 200 children in elective home education at the census date in spring term 2023. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 82,400 reported by 95% of local authorities.Local authorities reported that there were an estimated 80,900 children in elective home education at the census date in autumn term 2022. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 76,900 reported by 93% of local authorities.Data was collected by the department for the first time in the 2021/22 academic year. Previously data on elective home education was collected and published by the Association for Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS). Data for 2019 is attached.This data estimated that in 2018/19 that there were 54,656 children and young people being home educated in England, as of 3 October 2019.ADCS_Elective_Home_Education_Survey_Analysis (pdf, 838.4KB)

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Drax Power Station

Baroness Sheehan: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the response byLord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 984) that "the “Panorama” programme provided an inaccurate representation of practices by the forestry and biomass sector on the ground", what evidencethey havefor that assertion.

Lord Callanan: DESNZ officials engaged with forestry experts and relevant officials to understand the evidence about the claims made in the Panorama programme and found no evidence that biomass pellets used in the UK are unsustainable or were associated with forest destruction. In addition, as part of ongoing scheme compliance monitoring, Ofgem opened an additional assurance audit of Drax. Based on the evidence reviewed to date, Ofgem has not established any non-compliance that would affect the issue of Renewables Obligation Certificates to Drax.

Drax Power Station

Baroness Sheehan: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 983), when they expect the investigation by Ofgem on Drax Plc to conclude.

Lord Callanan: Ofgem has assured the Government that this matter is a priority for them and they are progressing the investigation at pace. Ofgem is engaging constructively with Drax, however, due to the sizeable amount of evidence that needs to be scrutinised in the course of this investigation and the fact that at this stage it is unclear whether further information will have to be collected, Ofgem cannot provide a timeline for when this investigation may be concluded.

Drax Power Station

Baroness Sheehan: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 983) that most of the pellets used for biomass are “by-product from normal sustainable commercial forests”, what evidence they have to support the claim; and whether that evidence been corroborated and verified by independent experts.

Lord Callanan: Recent evidence on the feedstocks used in the production of wood pellets is available from a number of sources, for example, from the Sustainable Biomass Program’s 2021 Annual Review, a 2022 Fibre Study by independent experts for the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, and a 2022 review by the US Forest Service on wood pellet production in the US (the primary source of biomass for energy use).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Constituencies

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask His Majesty's Government when the Order determining the new parliamentary constituency boundaries will be laid.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government plans to submit to His Majesty an Order in Council giving effect to the recommendations in the final reports of the Boundary Commissions as soon as reasonably practicable within four months, as required. The Order is not required to be laid before Parliament. Once the Order is made by His Majesty, the new constituencies will take effect at the next UK Parliamentary general election.

United Kingdom

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how they are supporting and strengthening the Union of the United Kingdom; and how much was spent on projects for that purpose in each of the last three years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We are committed to protecting and promoting our combined strengths and common values, ensuring our institutions deliver for people across the UK.Through the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund, the £220 million Community Ownership Fund and the £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the UK Government is delivering investment to regenerate our town centres and high streets, improve local transport links and invest in local culture.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the mental well-being of those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: This Government remains fully committed to supporting the Grenfell community and working with them to build a lasting legacy in North Kensington. This must include ensuring that the physical, and mental health support they need is available for the long term.   Since 2017, the Government has committed over £158 million, including delivering a bespoke Grenfell Health and Wellbeing offer in partnership with NHS England and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council.   The Secretary of State and I continue to work closely with the NHS, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and other parts of the government on future services, to ensure there is effective long-term physical and mental health support for the community, including for children and young people.   NHS England is developing further proposals, following its initial commitment of £50 million to fund Grenfell Health services to 2024. RBKC has committed to providing additional resources for the next phase of its recovery programme for 2024-2028. Both programmes will be developed in partnership with the community to ensure services are reflective of the evolving needs of all those affected.   The Secretary of State and I will also continue to meet with the bereaved, survivors and residents of North Kensington to hear from them directly, and to ensure that my department continues to play a leading role in making sure that the right support is available to meet the community's needs.

Empty Property: Greater London

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government which departments have contributed to discussions of the options for reuse of the now empty building which previously housed London City Hall; and what proposals, if any, they have put forward in these discussions.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The former London City Hall building is a privately-owned building and the Government has not been present at discussions of the options for reuse of the building.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Carers

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to book by Kate AndersenWelfare That Works for Women? Mothers’ Experiences of the Conditionality within Universal Credit, published in January,what stepsthey are taking to ensure that work-related requirements are appropriate to parents' caring responsibilities.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department is committed to providing the best possible support for all claimants to meet their individual circumstances. Claimants with parental caring responsibilities continue to have tailored commitments agreed based on their personal circumstances and conditionality requirements.Any work-related requirements are set in discussion with the claimant, tailored to their individual capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable. The guidance available to DWP staff outlines the easements which may be applied to claimants with parental caring responsibilities. A copy of the Universal Credit guidance is published in the House of Commons library and the department is committed to refreshing it at regular intervals.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of additive manufacturer products in equipment in the oil and gas industries.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 establishes duties for manufacturers to design and construct safe articles for use at work. In the various health and safety regulations that apply to the oil and gas industry it is the responsibility of the duty holder to ensure that any components used are fit for purpose for their intended use, and that they have the means to ensure those components will remain fit for purpose during their service life. Furthermore, product supply legislation places duties on the manufacturers of such products to assess their safety before their use. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertakes market surveillance monitoring of the health and safety of most products used at work. HSE have been engaged with the additive manufacturing industry for a number of years, including the publication of a report into structure properties of the technique in 2015. Industry standards and guidance are being produced in this area and these assure quality control throughout additive manufacture and provide a sufficient quantity and quality of information to manufacturers and dutyholders seeking to make or use these articles which can also be used as benchmarks against which to judge regulatory compliance. HSE is also considering the implications of exposure to fumes and respirable dusts from those undertaking additive manufacturing.

Home Office

Crimes of Violence: Public Sector

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government how many police (1) callouts, (2) investigations, (3) charges, and (4) convictions, there were to reported incidents of abuse and hostility towards public service workers in the last year for whichfigures are available.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of police recorded offences, and their investigative outcomes (including charges outcomes), on ‘assaults on a constable’ and the number of ‘assaults on an emergency worker (other than a constable)’ on a quarterly basis and that can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesInformation on other public sector workers is not separately identifiable within police recorded crime.The Home Office does not hold data on police call outs or investigations.The Home Office has taken a significant step to introduce a statutory aggravating factor for assault against those who are serving the public, via the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This means the public facing nature of a victim’s role will be considered an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing for assault offences. This provision commenced in June 2022.The Office for National Statistics’ Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and its latest estimates shows that the number of incidences of violence has fallen by 41% since the year ending March 2010, to 1.1 million incidences.The Ministry of Justice publish information on prosecutions and convictions, including ‘Assault of an emergency worker’ offence. These can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2022

Genocide and War Crimes: Rwanda

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to identify the presence of alleged Rwandan war criminals in the UK, and (2) to prosecute those who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: If a UK resident has been responsible for core international crimes anywhere in the world, they may be investigated and prosecuted in the UK.The Metropolitan Police has national responsibility for carrying out UK police inquiries for the investigation of all allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and torture. The Home Office do not hold information as to when any police investigations are likely to conclude.All allegations of war crimes referred to the War Crimes Team are considered, assessed and dealt with in line with the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity referral guidelines, which are jointly agreed with the Crown Prosecution Service CPS - https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/war-crimescrimes-against-humanity-referral-guidelines

Defence: Technology

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the Defence Science and Technology handbook on collision reduction equipment(1) is informed on issues of best practice in enforcement technology, and (2) accords with other police evidential and handling protocols; and what consultation they undertook with relevant stakeholders.

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the most recent Home Office Type Approval system for enforcement technology, what steps if any they are taking to reduce (1) the length of time taken for the approval process to complete, and (2) the impact that this process has on (a) employment and investment in the industry, and (b) industry innovation and development of new products; and what steps if any they are taking to ensure that suppliers are able to communicate directly with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory scientists.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office Type Approval requirements and testing regime are amongst the most stringent in the world. This is due to the nature of the UK justice system, and to minimise the number of complex legal challenges.The Home Office and DSTL recognise the need to improve the type approval process and update the handbook and have been working together to do this in a way that maintains confidence in type approved devices and considers the responsible use of public funds.

Department for Transport

Shipping: Russia

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 10 July (HL8794), whether the National Maritime Information Centrerecords incursions into the UK's territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zone by ships of the Russian Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research; and if so, how many have been made during the past two years.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The National Maritime Information Centre is a part of the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC). JMSC does not routinely record and archive the number of entries by foreign vessels into the UK's Exclusive Economic Zone. The number of instances JMSC utilises aviation assets to identify specific Vessels of Interest is, however, recorded. In the last two years, JMSC has flown 21 flights to identify 18 Russian vessels.

Rapid Transit Systems and Trams

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to (1) local authorities, (2) passenger transport authorities, and (3) Metro Mayors, to develop new light rail and trams to improve transport services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Light rail is largely devolved. It is one of the most expensive mass transit interventions local authorities can make and a range of modal options should be assessed when looking to address the needs of local transport users effectively and efficiently. Typically light rail is suited to only the most densely populated transport corridors. The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) for eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities, in England, outside London, is the principal funding stream through which plans for new mass transit systems and enhancements to existing systems can be developed. CRSTS funding is worth £5.7 billion in the 5-year period between 2022/23 to 2026/27. CRSTS provides local leaders with a simple, integrated, and long-term funding model which allows them to address local need. West Yorkshire Combined Authority, for instance, has allocated £200m of HMG funding to develop a new mass transit system for the region. The Transport for London settlement of 30 August 2022 provides just under £1.2 billion of upfront funding for transport in London, supporting almost £3.6 billion worth of projects, including light rail.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Governing Bodies

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey have taken to increase the diversity of leadership of national and international sports bodies, as announced by UK Sport on 24 June 2021; and what changes have been achieved to the membership of each governing body of sport that is in receipt of national lottery or Treasury financing since that date.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recognises the importance of diverse leadership and works closely with our partners in the sector including our arm’s-length bodies Sport England and UK Sport, national governing bodies, and sporting organisations to tackle inequalities and prioritise diversity and inclusion at all levels of sport.The Code for Sports Governance sets out the standards all sporting organisations must meet in return for public funding from either UK Sport or Sport England. The updated code has proved successful in setting clear expectations about good governance and diversity.The Code has had a clear impact for funded bodies in driving greater diversity on their boards, helping female representation on the boards of partners complying with the Code rise to 44% since its introduction in 2021.Numbers have also risen in relation to representation from people from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds, and from those with a declared disability, increasing respectively to 13% (from 4% in 2015) and 13% (from 3% in 2015), reflecting the progress and desire of the sector to make change.Board composition and the wider governance of international federations is a matter for the individual organisations.

Leisure and Sports: Children

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking toaddress the continuing increase in child obesity through the support of sport and recreational activities.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Supporting children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity is a key Government priority, so that everyone can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that exercise provides. We continue to work across Government and with Sport England to support children to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of getting 60 active minutes a day, and will shortly be publishing a new Sport Strategy with the aim of increasing physical activity among young people.An important contribution to meeting these guidelines is ensuring that children get access to good quality physical education and school sport. The Department for Education encourages all schools to deliver at least two hours of PE a week, and will shortly be publishing a revised School Sport Activity Action Plan.

Treasury

Financial Services and Markets Act 2023

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to bring section 27 (Regulatory principles) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 into force; and when they will lay regulations before parliament naming this date.

Baroness Penn: Section 27 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 adds the UK's net zero target and environmental targets into the regulatory principles for the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. The requirement for the regulators to have regard to the need to contribute to achieving the net zero target will come into force two months after Royal Assent, on 29 August. The commencement regulations that did this, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2023, were made on 10 July. The requirement to have regard to the need to contribute to achieving the environmental targets will come into force at a later date. This requirement was added by amendment late in the passage of the Act, and the regulators will need time to consider how to operationalise this requirement. The government is working with the regulators to explore the earliest date that this requirement can come into force.

Duty Free Allowances

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Penn (HL5751), for what reasons they consider that introducing duty free at airports in Northern Irelandfor passengers flying to the EU would undermine their commitment to maintaining frictionless trade.

Baroness Penn: Introducing duty free shopping between Northern Ireland and the EU (which includes the Republic of Ireland) would require implementing allowances for the movement of these goods, to stop the uncontrolled flow of tax-free goods into either Northern Ireland or the EU (including the Republic of Ireland). These allowances would require enforcement. Therefore, if this were to be implemented, controls on the movement of goods between NI and the Republic of Ireland would be required, contravening the shared ambitions of the UK, Ireland and the EU.